Package Description: In Hayao Miyazaki's latest animated masterpiece, journey beyond imagination and enter a "breathtaking fantasy world" (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) filled with adventure, humor and heart. Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard Howl's magnificent flying castle and enters a magical world on a quest to break the spell. Featuring the voice talents of Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Blythe Danner and Billy Crystal, Miyazaki's artistry comes to life on DVD with inventive characters, unique storytelling and richly detailed animation.
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The Miyazaki movies are renowned for a reason, and this movie is no exception. Howl's will be a little harder to follow because of the ambiguity of the lore within the story. This means you won't know why and how many things are happening but this also seems to make the story much more genuine. The writers don't hold your hand and explain every element and character to you, what you learn from is the characterization and actions you'll see. I would recommend this to kids and young adults alike.